WO2017025394A1

WO2017025394A1 - Heat management system for a motor vehicle, and method for operating a heat management system for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2017025394A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/068481
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joris Fokkelman; Christoph Baumgärtner
Original assignee: Continental Automotive Gmbh
Priority date: 2015-08-07
Filing date: 2016-08-03
Publication date: 2017-02-16
Also published as: DE102015215164A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a heat management system (2) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising: a number of supply circuits (3), in which a coolant is guided, wherein each supply circuit (3) is assigned to a thermally active component of the motor vehicle (1) such that heat is exchangeable between the thermally active component and the coolant; at least one pump for conveying the coolant in the supply circuits (3); a number of valves for interconnecting the supply circuits (3), wherein via the valves, the supply circuits (3) can be connected to one another in a flexible manner.

Description

description

Thermal management system for a motor vehicle and method for operating a thermal management system for a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a thermal management system for a motor vehicle and a method of operating a Wärmema ^¬ management system for a motor vehicle.

In a motor vehicle, there are a large number of thermally active components, i. Components that are available as heat sources or heat sinks. Some components must be cooled, others depending on the operating condition of the

Motor vehicle heated. Here ver ^¬ different coolant are typically used, for example oil, water, air or refrigerant, such as CO _2. Partly, it is intended to use the dissipated heat of some components for heating other components. It is standard, for example, to operate the interior heating with the engine cooling water.

From US 2005/0072169 AI, a cooling system is known in which a refrigerant of an air conditioner is used to transmit cold via a heat exchanger to the engine cooling water.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal management system for a motor vehicle that can efficiently distribute heat throughout the vehicle. Furthermore, a method for operating such a thermal management system is to be specified.

This object is achieved with the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a thermal management system for a motor vehicle having a plurality of supply circuits in which a refrigerant is routed, each supply circuit being associated with a thermally active component of the motor vehicle such that heat is exchangeable between the thermally active component and the refrigerant is. Furthermore, the thermal management system has at least one pump for conveying the refrigerant in the supply circuits and a number of valves for connecting the supply circuits to each other, wherein the supply circuits via the valves are flexibly interconnected.

Here, flexible interconnectability is understood here and below to mean that the supply circuits via the valves can not only be switched on and off, but that it is also possible to determine via the interconnection whether a single component of the motor vehicle is used as heat source or heat sink. In principle, each input of the supply circuits can be connected to any desired output via the valves. The supply circuits can be interconnected in such a way that a number of sensible distribution patterns for heat can be realized. The thermal management system has the advantage that heat can be distributed as required by the flexible interconnectability of the supply circuits depending on the operating state of the motor vehicle. This allows efficient cooling of individual components, resulting in an increased life and energy savings. Other components such as the vehicle interior and an exhaust aftertreatment may, if necessary, be heated with the waste heat of other components. The thermal management system makes it possible to integrate the entire cooling and heating of components of the motor vehicle via the refrigerant fed into the supply circuits. Instead of multiple, separately operated systems, the thermal management system is a single, integrated system in which heat can be flexibly distributed to individual components of the motor vehicle.

According to one embodiment, one of the thermally active components of the motor vehicle to which a supply circuit is assigned is an air conditioning system of the motor vehicle. This can also be operated as a heat pump and can thus supply heat or cold as needed.

According to one embodiment, the supply circuits have heat exchangers by means of which heat is exchangeable between the thermally active component and the refrigerant.

Such heat exchangers may be provided on all or only some of the thermally active components. For example, it may not be useful in engine cooling to dispense with the cooling of the engine oil, since the engine oil in addition to the Kühlauch has a lubricating effect and can not be easily replaced with a refrigerant. Other components such as a battery of the motor vehicle can also be cooled or heated directly by the refrigerant.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, an electric motor is provided as a drive for the at least one pump. This can also be the electric drive motor, in particular in the case of a hybrid vehicle or a purely electrically powered motor vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the at least one pump is reversible and can also be operated in expansion become. This has the advantage that the promotion of the refrigerant in the supply lines in any operating condition of the motor vehicle is particularly flexible.

According to one embodiment, two separate pumps are arranged on a common drive shaft. The use of two pumps has the advantage of simultaneously occurring, un ^¬ terschiedliche requirements can be handled. In ^¬ example, it is possible in the presence of two pumps to divide the amount of supply lines in at least two sub-circuits, each of which is supplied by one of the two pumps. This makes it possible to realize very different temperature levels in the refrigerant circuits.

In this case, the at least two pumps may be hydraulically or mechanically decoupled from the thermal management system. Hydraulic decoupling may be achieved by providing a valve that is opened or closed to decouple the pump from the thermal management system or to couple it to the thermal management system. Alternatively, a mechanical coupling for driving the pumps can be provided, by means of which the pumps are individually decoupled. This has the advantage that the pump in operating states in which they are not needed, can be separated from its drive or by the supply ^¬ lines to losses through the

Reduce drag torque.

According to one embodiment, CO _{2 is} provided as the refrigerant. Carbon dioxide today is a commonly used refrigerant and has the advantage for the present invention that it can cover a very high range of temperatures from -40 to over 150 ° C. This makes it possible to have both a situation to cover an extreme cold start as well as overload situations.

Alternatively, however, the use of another refrigerant is conceivable.

According to one embodiment, the thermal management system further comprises a determination unit for determining the heat requirement of individual thermally active components in the motor vehicle. The determination unit, which may include, for example, corresponding sensors as well as an evaluation of the sensor data, makes it possible to determine the heat demand component by component in each operating state of the motor vehicle. Therefore, the discovery unit allows ^¬ is to advocate the thermal management as exactly as possible to the current operating condition of the vehicle set ^¬. The heat demand of the individual components can be constantly redetermined, and based on this determined heat demand and the interconnection of the supply ^¬ circuits can be checked each other via the valves constantly.

Thus, the thermal management system provides the flexibility to distribute ^¬ be allowed to meet heat under all operating conditions of the motor vehicle. The heat demand of the components is not used as an average value, but it can be redetermined in any situation.

A plurality of thermally active components of the motor vehicle can be connected to the thermal management system via the supply circuits. For example, come as components cooling of an engine block, a vehicle radiator, air conditioning, interior heating, oil cooling, a heating system exhaust aftertreatment, a cooling or heating system of a vehicle battery and power electronics of an electric motor into consideration. In particular, come as components the vehicle radiator, the engine block and the interior ventilation into consideration. Other components may be disposed outside the Wärmemana ^¬ management system is, that supply circuits of other components mentioned herein may be separate from the valve block.

The supply circuits can have different operating temperature ranges or maximum operating temperature ranges, for example with a maximum temperature of 90 ° C-100 ° C for the engine block, a maximum temperature of 40 ° C-50 ° C for indoor ventilation and 90 ° C-100 ° C for the vehicle radiator. At least one temperature range may differ from another temperature range of another component or its supply circuit.

The distribution of heat to individual components connected to the thermal management system can be dependent on a determined technical requirement of the components and depending on a given priority of the components.

This embodiment has the advantage that not only technical requirements such as an actual value and a target value of a temperature of a component for the distribution of heat are used, but that also requirements of a user of the motor vehicle can be considered. For example, the cooling or heating of the engine and an exhaust aftertreatment or a catalyst directly affects the fuel consumption and the cost of exhaust aftertreatment. They could thus be accorded a high priority in the segment of small cars and the compact class. Components that directly affect the comfort of the user, such as interior heating or air conditioning, could therefore be more likely to be used in mid-range or upper middle class or upper class have been given a higher priority.

According to one aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is specified with the described thermal management system. The motor vehicle has the advantage that it is particularly energy-efficient operable and offers a user a high level of comfort.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a thermal management system for a motor vehicle is provided. The thermal management system includes a number of supply circuits that supply a refrigerant to thermally-active components of the vehicle. The method includes determining a heat demand of each thermally active component, creating a distribution pattern of heat between the thermally active components, and interconnecting the supply lines with each other using the distribution pattern.

In this case, a distribution pattern is understood as the definition of which thermally active components serve as a heat sink and which as a heat source in the thermal management system and how much heat is supplied or removed in each case. In this case, a component is the heat source that flows through a corre sponding ^¬ interconnection of the supply lines cooler refrigerant to the component and warm away from it. Conversely, a component to the heat sink characterized by the supply lines are connected by means of valves such that relatively warm refrigerant flows to the Kom ^¬ component and relatively cold refrigerant from it is discharged.

The method makes it possible to cover the heat demand of each thermally active component in the motor vehicle as accurately as possible. The thermal management system can serve, for example, for the operation of an air conditioner for the vehicle interior, it can also provide for a corresponding operation of the air conditioner as a heat pump for heating the interior, engine oil can be preheated by means of a heat pump, as well as a Kata ^¬ lysator or a battery of the Motor vehicle at a

Cold start. Furthermore, engine heat can be recuperated. Furthermore, a cooling for the engine and / or a battery of the motor vehicle can be realized.

It is also possible to use a high-voltage heater as a thermally active component in the thermal management system, with the thermal recuperation is possible by the fact that when braking mechanical energy is converted at the electric motor into electricity from which heat is generated in the high-voltage heater, which then by the Refrigerant is transportable.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a predetermined priority for individual thermally active components is taken into account in the creation of the distribution pattern. Emphasis on cost and / or can be placed on comfort ^¬ play as.

According to another embodiment, if it is determined that the motor vehicle is connected to an external power connection, for example for charging a battery, a thermal preparation of a drive train and / or an interior of the vehicle can take place. In this embodiment, for example, components of the drive train can be pre-heated ^¬, as well as the interior of the vehicle.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and stored on the computer readable medium Program code that, when executed on a computing unit, instructs the computing unit to perform the described method of operating a thermal management system for a motor vehicle.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures.

Figure 1 shows schematically a thermal management system for a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention and

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method for

Operating a thermal management system for a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a thermal management system 2 of a motor vehicle 1 shown only in dashed lines. The motor vehicle 1 is designed as a hybrid vehicle and has both an electric drive motor 13 and an internal combustion engine 7.

The thermal management system 2 comprises a number of supply circuits 3, four of which are shown in FIG. A supply circuit 3 is associated with a fan 4 or radiator fan of the vehicle 1. A second supply circuit 3 is assigned to the engine 7 and is connected via a heat exchanger 9 with an oil circuit 6 of the engine 7 in contact. By means of this supply ^¬ circuit 3 Heat is extracted from the oil circuit 6 of the Burn ^¬ voltage motors 7 or this added. Another supply circuit 3 is associated with an air filter box 5 of an interior of the vehicle 1. Heat can be dissipated from the air filter box 5 or supplied to it via a heat exchanger 9.

Another supply circuit 3 is associated with a battery 8 of the vehicle 1. The battery 8 is provided to supply the electric motor 13. Via a heat exchanger 9, the battery 8 heat can be removed or supplied.

The thermal management system 2 can have further supply circuits for further, not shown here, thermally active components of the vehicle 1. The supply circuits 3 comprise, in addition to the heat exchangers 9 are each at least one flow line 10 and a return ^¬ line 11. In the lines 10, 11, a refrigerant is performed, wherein CO ₂ is provided as a refrigerant in the shown embodiment.

The refrigerant is conducted by means of a high-pressure pump in the lines 10, 11. The high pressure pump is in the Dar ^¬ position in Figure 1 part of the valve block 12 and not shown separately. The valve block 12 comprises a combination of the lines 10, 11 and a way to flexibly interconnect them via valves. In particular, it is possible to determine by means of the flexible interconnection, which thermally active component is used as a heat sink and which as a heat source. For this purpose it is determined via the valves of the valve block 12, in which order and in which direction which of the lines 10, 11 are flowed through by the refrigerant. In this respect, the roles of the flow lines 10 and the return lines 11 can reverse, so that these terms should not be understood as limiting the flow direction here.

The high-pressure pump, not shown, of the valve block 12 is seated on the motor shaft 14 of the electric motor 13 and is driven by this. Instead of a central valve block 12, in which all supply circuits 3 are brought together, also distributed valves can be used. For controlling the valves and the high pressure pump of the valve block 12, a computing unit 15 is connected via a signal line 18 to the valve block 12. The computing unit 15 has a processing unit 16 and a computer-readable medium 17 as a storage unit. The processing unit 16 can be designed, for example, as an electronic processor, in particular as a microprocessor or microcontroller. The computer-readable medium 17 may be formed, for example, as an EEPROM, flash memory or flash EEPROM or NVRAM. On the computer-readable medium 17, a program code is stored which, when executed on the arithmetic unit 15, instructs the arithmetic unit 15 to carry out the method of operating the thermal management system 2 described with reference to FIG. The arithmetic unit 15 are supplied via signal lines 22, 23 and 24 output signals from sensors 19, 20 and 21. These sensors 19, 20, 21 are shown here merely by way of example and schematically and are intended to illustrate that the arithmetic unit 15 controls the thermal management system 2 on the basis of inputs from the vehicle sensor system. In particular, the sensors 19, 20, 21 may be designed as temperature sensors which are assigned to the individual thermally active components of the vehicle 1 and determine their temperature. Accordingly, output signals of these sensors 19, 20, 21 flow into the decision of the arithmetic unit 15 as to which of the thermally active components of the vehicle 1 are to serve as a heat source and which as a heat sink and how the valves of the valve block 12 are to be connected therewith.

Further data can also be included in this decision, in particular a prioritization of the thermally active components predetermined by a user. For example, it may be specified that for the operation of the vehicle 1 particularly important components is preferably supplied refrigerant for dissipating heat. Depending on the type of vehicle can also be provided to distribute heat so that the comfort in the vehicle interior is particularly high. Furthermore, it can be provided that heat is preferably distributed in such a way that the operation of the vehicle 1 is energy-efficient. Such determinations are stored on the computer-readable medium 17 of the arithmetic unit 15. During operation of the vehicle 1, the sensors 19, 20, 21 determine at any time the heat or refrigeration demand of the thermally active components of the vehicle 3, for example the radiator 4, the air filter box 5, the battery 8 and the internal combustion engine 7. Determined on the basis of this determined demand the arithmetic unit 15, which thermally active components optimally can deliver the required heat and absorb which heat to be dissipated. The result of this calculation of the arithmetic unit is a distribution pattern for heat. The arithmetic unit 15 then controls the valves of the valve block 12 and the high-pressure pump accordingly in order to distribute the heat optimally over the determined distribution pattern in the supply circuits 3 refrigerant. FIG. 2 schematically shows in a flowchart steps of a method for operating the thermal management system 2 for the motor vehicle 1 according to FIG. 1.

In the method, the heat requirement of thermally active components of the vehicle is determined in a first step 100, for example with the temperature sensors assigned to the thermally active components.

In a second step 200, a distribution pattern for heat between the individual components is created on the basis of the determined heat requirement and possibly on the basis of predetermined priorities of the thermally active components. The distribution pattern contains information about how much heat is to be supplied or removed by which components.

On the basis of this distribution pattern, the supply lines are connected in accordance with valves in a step 300.

Reference sign list

1 motor vehicle

2 thermal management system

3 supply circuit

4 fans

5 air filter boxes

6 oil circuit

7 internal combustion engine

8 battery

9 heat exchangers

10 flow line

11 return line

12 valve block

13 electric motor

14 motor shaft

15 arithmetic unit

16 processing unit

17 storage unit

18 signal line

19 sensor

20 sensor

21 sensor

22 signal line

23 signal line

24 signal line

100 steps

200 step

300 step

Claims

claims

A thermal management system (2) for a motor vehicle (1) comprising:

a number of supply circuits (3), in which a refrigerant is guided, each supply ^¬ circuit (3) is associated with a thermally active component of the motor vehicle (1), so that heat between the thermally active component and the refrigerant from ^¬ interchangeable ;

at least one pump for conveying the refrigerant in the supply circuits (3);

a number of valves for connecting the supply circuits (3) with each other, wherein the supply ^¬ tion circuits (3) via the valves are flexibly interconnected.

2. thermal management system (2) according to claim 1,

the supply circuits (3) heat exchangers

include, by means of which heat between the thermal

Component and the refrigerant is exchangeable.

3. thermal management system (2) according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein an electric motor (13) is provided as a drive for the at least one pump.

4. thermal management system (2) according to claim 3,

wherein the at least one pump is reversible.

5. thermal management system (2) according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein at least two separate pumps are arranged on a common drive shaft.

6. thermal management system (2) according to claim 5, wherein the at least two pumps are hydraulically or mechanically decoupled from the thermal management system (2).

Thermal management system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein CO _{2 is} provided as the refrigerant.

Thermal management system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a determination unit for determining the heat demand of individual thermally active components in the motor vehicle (1).

Thermal management system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the following thermally active components of the power ^¬ vehicle (1) via the supply circuits (3) to the thermal management system (2) are connected: cooling of an engine block (7) and / or a Vehicle cooler (4) and / or an air conditioning system and / or an interior heating and / or an oil cooling and / or a heating system of an exhaust aftertreatment and / or a cooling system of a vehicle battery (8) and / or power electronics of

Electric motor (13).

Thermal management system (2) according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein the distribution of heat to the heat to individual ^¬ management system (2) connected components is determined depending on a technical requirements of the components and dependent on a predetermined priority of the components.

Motor vehicle (1) with a thermal management system (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10.

Method for operating a heat management system (2) for a motor vehicle (1), which has a number of suppliers Circuits (3), which supply thermally active components of the vehicle (1) with a refrigerant, the method comprising:

Determining a heat demand of each thermally active component;

Creating a distribution pattern of heat between the thermally active components,

Interconnecting the supply lines (3) with each other based on the distribution pattern.

Method according to claim 12,

wherein when establishing the distribution pattern a given priority for individual thermally active components is taken into account.

Method according to claim 12 or 13,

wherein, when it is determined that the motor vehicle (1) is connected to an external power connection, a thermal preparation of a drive train and / or an interior of the vehicle (1) takes place.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium (17) and program code stored on the computer readable medium (17) which, when executed on a computing unit (15), instructs the arithmetic unit (15), a method according to any one of claims 12 to 14 out.